Recommended: To get the most current drivers for your Sound Card, download the driver installer below. With a database of over 11 million drivers, you can quickly identify every Sound Card device made after 1994. Updated Sound & Audio drivers can help resolve driver conflicts, improve your computer's sound, performance and stability. We highly recommend the audio driver installer for all Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7 users.

You can download the recommended Sound & Audio driver updates by clicking the "Download" button.

Installation Instructions:

Important: If you are using Firefox or Netscape as your browser, you will be directed to save the application "to disk" (we recommend that you save the application to your desktop).

We recommend that you save it to your desktop and initiate the free scan using the desktop icon. Should you choose not to save the application, you may simply initiate the free scan by clicking the "Run" button on the File Download Window.

Sound Card Troubleshooting Guide

Here are the following troubleshooting steps to perform in order to resolve an issue with a sound card.

Check If Your Sound Card and Speakers are Properly Installed

Check the Device Manager and see if your sound device is present.

If the driver is not present, you may need to install the latest driver.

If the device is present, but there is a yellow question mark (?) or exclamation point (!) before its icon, the device driver may need to be reinstalled.

To access the device manager, simply click on Start, right-click on the My Computer icon, and then select Manage. On the computer management window, select Device Manager to see the list of the devices installed on the computer.

To go directly to the Device Manager, just click on Start->Run and then on the text field, type in devmgmt.msc, and press Enter.

Test the sound on the control panel. To go there, simply click on Start->Control Panel->Sound. Under the sounds tab, you will have an opportunity to test the functionality of your computer’s sound system. Check your sound devices and see if they are properly selected. Also check the volume and make sure that the controls are not muted.

Don’t forget to check the speakers. Make sure it receives power and that its volume is not set to minimum.

Check for Possible Software Problems

Media Player – See if the player is working correctly. If possible, use another media player and see if the result is the same. If you did not encounter the same issue with another media or music player, it is very likely that the problem lies with software.

Operating System – A lot of factors in the operating system can affect the performance of your sound card. Try to check if there are important or critical updates for your operating system and install them.

If you feel that your computer system needs a quick repair, consider running System File Checker. To access it, simply click on Start->Run and then type sfc/ scannow. Make sure you have the Windows CD inserted in your CDROM drive. The system would need it during the process.

Also, in the course of your troubleshooting, before proceeding to hardware replacement, consider reinstalling the entire computer system first. Sometimes, it is the operating itself and not the hardware that is causing the problem. If that is so, replacing the sound card or the motherboard will never resolve the issue. You would only lose your precious savings while the sound trouble still persists.

Reinstall the Sound Card Driver

If you have already reached this step in troubleshooting, we are then somewhat certain that the issue is more likely a hardware problem rather than a software trouble.

Driver issue is the most common cause of sound card problems. Make sure you have the latest version of the driver. It’s usually available at the manufacturer’s website. To reinstall the sound driver, you will need to uninstall the current driver first. Go to the device manager as described in the first step of this troubleshooting guide. Find the device that represents your sound card driver. Right-click on it and click Uninstall. The uninstallation setup will then show up. Follow the instructions and restart the computer afterward.

To install the latest driver, extract the installation files (they are often available in compressed format), and find the executable file. Run the setup process and restart the computer afterward.

If this is your first time to reinstall a device driver, or you are unsure of the steps involved in this procedure, consider downloading our driver updater to automatically scan your pc and update your sound card drivers..

Reseat the Sound Card

To reseat the sound card means to remove it from the system and put it back in. Before touching any internal device installed on the computer, make sure to avoid wearing static-inducing clothing and touch a grounded conductor (metals, etc.) to dissipate static electricity. Also, always turn off your computer, unplug the cord, and remove the battery (for portables).

Consult your manufacturer’s documentation for steps in unseating and reseating the sound card. If the sound controller is integrated to your computer’s motherboard, skip this step and proceed to the next one.

After reseating the sound card, restart the computer and see if the problem is still there. If it persists, proceed to the next step.

Test with Another Sound Card in Good Condition

Remove the sound card and install a known-good working sound card. If the problem persists, it is highly possible that the issue is a hardware problem. Either there is a problem with the sound card, or in the sound card slot in the motherboard.

Replace the Sound Card

If sound card replacement did not resolve the issue, it means that the sound card slot is damaged or no longer functional. A motherboard replacement is necessary to fix the problem.

If you find that these steps didn't resolve your sound issues, I suggest you try to run the automated scan to see if it can locate more current drivers. If after the automated scan you are still unable to resolve problems with your sound card you may have to contact the computer manufacturer for a resolution.

If you find that these steps didn't resolve your sound issues, I suggest you try to run the automated scan to see if it can locate more recient drivers. If after the automated scan you are still unable to resolve problems with your sound card you may have to contact the computer manufacturer for a resolution.

Why Updating Drivers Is Important

Usually the only reason we look to install or update sound & audio drivers is because something is malfunctioning. This is not the only reason you should keep your drivers up to date however. Manufacturers are constantly updating and improving performance of their devices and the only way to make use of this is by having the latest system drivers. Obviously going online and checking for new drivers all the time is not desirable so using a tool like the one at the top of this page you can keep all of your hardware running on the optimal drivers with top performance.

When new hardware is installed, although it works correctly, other hardware which interacts with it may not be, because the other hardware actually needs its own drivers updated. This kind of co-dependency is another common problem and a reason why it's a great idea to have a tool that is constantly monitoring the state of all of your drivers and updating appropriately so you can upgrade and add or remove components in your computer while continuing to run without a hitch.

If your sound & audio is fairly new, it may be possible to download individual sound & audio driver files directly from the manufacturer without incurring additional charges. If you are having problems locating the correct driver, or are unsure of the exact model, we suggest you run this system scan first. It is very important that you know the exact model of your sound & audio that you would like to update to prevent possible damage to your system. We suggest that you click here to download an installer that will automatically scan and identify your sound & audio to ensure you are installing the correct update and will also locate and download any additional driver and bios updates your pc may need.

.NET Framework 2.0 is required for this product. If needed, it will be installed automatically for you.

It's our goal to provide easy, one-click access to all of the latest drivers for your computer. Saving you time and preventing the possibility of installing an incorrect system driver, which could potentially cause a system crash. Individual drivers may be available and manually installed via manufacturer websites at no charge. We recommend running a free scan of your computer for the most current and compatible drivers for your system. Registration for the full version of the automated driver installer is only $29.99 USD for a full year of driver updates with the option of a second year for just $9.99 USD.

All third party products, brands, or trademarks used herein are for identification purposes only and are the sole property of their respective owner. No affiliation or endorsement is intended or implied. When using a company's driver you will bound to that company's own legal agreement.

We recommend our installer which is a driver system utility for scanning, matching, downloading, and installing verified drivers. Registration for the full version of the installer is only $29.99 USD for 1 full year of driver updates. with the option of a second year for just $9.99 USD. Many drivers may be obtained directly by visiting the websites of the respective manufacturers.